Parenting Therapists in Orinda, CA

My practice focuses on therapy for adolescents and adults. I specialize in achievement pressure, school stress, work stress, AD/HD, acting out teens, single parenting , parental support, depression, and anxiety. My treatment approach supports both parents and children in developing healthy strategies for navigating the pressure that is so prevalent in schools and communities today. I also work with individual adult clients facing anxiety, depression, and life changes.

I work with individuals and couples to help reduce struggles and find ways to live more fulfilling, gratifying lives. Our relationship is the context in which we work to find where you're stuck, what's getting in your way, and ways to do things differently. My specialty areas include grief and loss, adoption, ADHD, race/class issues, work/life balance, LGBTQ issues, and divorce. I help people manage anxiety and mood problems. I help couples with concerns related to parenting , managing conflict, and addressing needs and expectations. I see communication as the grease that keeps relationships running smoothly, and I help facilitate good communication.

A clinical and developmental psychologist with over 30 years experience, I work with adults, parents and children from birth through adolescence. Development is a continual balance of equilibrium and disequilibrium; a lifelong process as our bodies, brains, relationships and societal expectations change. While the challenges along the way bring the discomfort of vulnerability and negative emotions, they also create opportunity for growth and change. From infancy on, we all have an inner vitality into which therapy can allow us to tap. Therapy provides a safe protected space that nurtures exploration, reflection, growth and change.

Kids don't always use words but behavior always has a message and may also be a form of SOS. I help children and teens feel better about themselves and improve their behavior at home or at school. I also help parents and families understand and deal with the mistaken goals of misbehavior. I believe there is always a reason, feeling or unmet need. Understanding and addressing the underlying message helps build bridges with kids and teens. I provide individual, parenting or family sessions that range from educational coaching and enrichment or addressing specific concerns.

Parenting can be the hardest job in the world and I am here to help. Do you have a difficult teenager? Is your child having trouble in High School? Has your family experienced divorce, remarriage, or difficulties with co- parenting ? These types of issues have become very common and it is normal to need some help coping with them. I have many years experience working with children and their families and as a parent I can relate to the difficulties that arise each day. The decision to start therapy can be difficult because you may feel that you have already tried everything or you wonder if this will really help.

I love my work! My specialty is repairing relationships using Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) and Gottman-focused techniques. Educated and experienced in both models, I have completed all necessary requirements for certification. EFT is ideal for use with couples, individuals, and families. Clinical background includes training from UCSF's Infant- Parent -Program in San Francisco, The Psychotherapy Institute in Berkeley, in addition to The Women's Therapy Center also in Berkeley. If you are looking to enhance any relationship using evidence-based techniques and you welcome a compassionate challenge, then we should talk.

These days are chaotic and the landscape of life is constantly shifting. As a parent you are multitasking and trying to understand and help manage your child's emotions. It is excruciating to feel so helpless when your child retreats into depression or acts out in anger or fits of anxiety. Your child is suffering socially and emotionally from the Pandemic and this territory is scary! You are spread as far out as you can imagine and still you stretch further losing your joy and confidence as a parent . You want to slow down, and lean into strategies that support your child and are sustainable. Time to ground and reconnect.

Growth, change and transformation happen in the context of crucial relationships in our lives. We also experience pain, loss, absence, fear, shame, and more within those relationships – as children and as adults. Our life experiences, intertwined with our cultural background and unique neurobiology, lead us to become who we are, but may not lead us to become who we want to be. Psychotherapy offers an opportunity to create lives and relationships that are more satisfying and in which we feel more alive.

Whether you are depressed, anxious, confused, or wanting better communication between you and your partner, family, friends or self, I can help you get to know yourself and what is driving your thoughts and feelings. This self wisdom leads to greater choice in your relationships. You can only change you, but changing you leads to changes in the world around you, including the people in your life. I would love to help you listen to and trust your inner guidance in making choices that support you.

My orientation is cognitive and behavioral (CBT). I'm a caring compassionate listener and also actively engage with clients to elicit thoughts, feelings, and strategies for healing. My specialties include eating disorders, depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, couples, family issues, parenting , and teens. My therapy approach is directive and problem-solving while encouraging self-acceptance and compassion. I believe that everyone is capable of change at his or her own rate and comfort level. I help my clients eliminate self-critical thinking that too often sabotages their happiness and their relationships.

Choosing a therapist online can be a challenge because it is hard to get a gut feeling if there will be a good match. I invite you to watch a brief video on my website to get a sense if you would feel comfortable working with me. I specialize in working with people who feel stuck or believe that they have "tried everything." I am a Certified EMDR Therapist and an Aprroved EMDR Consultant. In my office, you will find a safe place to explore, grow, and heal.

In my practice of helping others strive for mental wellness, I believe in taking a holistic approach. I specialize in working with children, teens and adults with anxiety, depression and life transitions. I also work with parents in ways to effectively support their children and manage their own mental well-being throughout the parenting journey. In addition I have previously served hundreds of parents and their children in speciality areas such as teen anxiety, teen DBT, and pre-adolescence emotional regulation skill building. I also have specialized training in Perinatal Mental Health through Postpartum Support International.

I specialize in working with children, teens and adults with anxiety disorders and OCD using evidence-based practices (primarily Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Mindfulness-based therapies and Exposure Response Prevention). In addition to working with anxiety disorders and OCD, I also work with children, adolescents, and adults on improving self-regulation skills, reducing procrastination, and increasing proactive coping skills to improve resilience in the face of life stressors. I believe that caregiver involvement is an essential part of my work with children and adolescents, and will often integrate parent coaching and training into my work.

I specialize in working with couples, parenting , parents with special needs children, young adults and grandparents. Family conflict, divorce, blended families who are undergoing a wide range of emotional, behavioral, academic, and relational issues need support and tools. Retirement, aging, caring for aging parents, caring for ill-loved ones, coping with life threatening illness and grief and loss are also important issues impacting life and family. Therapy can bring understanding, increase communication and create healthy relationships, life transitions and families.

I provide services for 3 types of issues: 1) OCD, OCD-Spectrum Disorders (e.g., Tics, hair pulling, skin picking, and hoarding), and anxiety disorders; 2) Autism Spectrum Disorder of all functioning levels; and 3) OCD, OCD-Spectrum Disorders, and anxiety co-occuring with Autism. My work is with children, teens, and adults and I provide services in office, home, and community settings ranging from once weekly to daily sessions. I take a family-based approach when treating children and teens by giving parent and caregiver training.

At some point in our lives each of us faces obstacles or barriers we can't seem to overcome on our own. It's part of the human condition. Fortunately, professional counseling and psychotherapy can help you develop ways of moving forward through the places where you feel stuck. The empathic, and non-judgmental therapeutic relationship I offer can help you discover, or rediscover, your own strengths to heal, thrive, and create the relationships and life you desire.

"Anyone with children knows that they are challenging as well as rewarding. It is when these challenges outweigh the loving relationship that children start to typically manifest symptoms. Due to internal and/or environmental stresses, children can become withdrawn, oppositional, easily overwhelmed, and scared. This in turn can compromise your child's present and future relationships, academic performance, self-esteem, and the parent -child relationship. When difficulties are addressed early, children gain a sense of mastery and safety lasting a lifetime." Dr. Lynch has worked with young children in preschool, research, state/county, and clinical settings over the last ten years.

*VIDEO/PHONE SESSIONS AVAILABLE* Do you find yourself facing difficult or unexpected struggles? Responding to life's challenges can be hard and can result in stress and unwanted feelings or symptoms. I am here to help you gain the strength, confidence, and clarity needed to tackle life’s obstacles and to feel well. I work with individuals from adolescence through adulthood who are dealing with a range of issues including stress, anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, life transitions, relationship and parenting concerns, grief and loss, trauma recovery, and more. I also help couples work through problems and strengthen their bond.

Hello! I am a psychotherapist in the Bay Area, California, who specializes in working with children, adolescents, and adults. My style of therapy is relational, strength based, evidence based, and integrative. I am warm, authentic, humorous (we have to have humor in the hard times!) and direct. The therapeutic relationship between my clients and me is of the utmost importance. I see it as a collaborative, personal, and ever evolving one.